Johannesburg, 21 February 2018 - Local premium pet food manufacturer, Montego Pet Nutrition, has maintained its FSSC 22000 certification, demonstrating the company’s commitment to food safety and delivering high-quality, world-class products to its local and international customers. This follows the company’s official certification on 28 October 2015 for dry pet food for cats and dogs.
The FSSC 22000 Food Safety System Certification is based on the international family of ISO standards, and provides a practical and comprehensive framework for food manufacturers to follow to ensure production adheres to high standards of uncompromised quality.
Gaining certification is rigorous and can only be awarded following a strenuous two-stage audit by official accreditation and certification bodies. Companies are also subject to annual surveillance audits, and certification is re-evaluated every three years to ensure they have maintained compliance.
“While gaining FSSC 22000 certification is not compulsory for pet food brands, we know that pet lovers see their animals as part of the family, and it has always been a priority of ours to keep our loyal customers – and their owners – happy and healthy with our products,” says Wilfred Cawood, Marketing Manager at Montego Pet Nutrition.
Cawood says that Montego has always been heavily invested in ensuring its products are strictly adherent to the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act, 1947 (Act No. 36 of 1947). As such, all raw materials used in the making of Montego’s products are tested for micro-toxins and bacteria in the company’s on-site newly renovated laboratory, which not only safeguards pets, but also humans handling the food at any time.
Along with appointing a food safety management team to oversee the certification process and ensure Montego remained compliant at all times, Montego also invested extensively in ensuring it met the requirements of the FSSC 22000, with directors and all staff attending training and signing a commitment pledge.
While gaining FSSC 22000 certification can be costly in the short term, Cawood says that Montego benefited considerably in the three-year span since it was first certified.
“We see this certification as a strategic business investment, supporting our efforts in reducing operational costs through streamlining processes and making production more efficient,” he says. “Maintaining our accreditation has been challenging, but having buy-in from all our top management as well as every staff member at Montego has directly contributed towards this incredible achievement,” says Cawood.
ENDS.
